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Background Info on Celtic Recipes:The Celtic Recipes Programme aims to assist small food and drink enterprises to grow and develop through participation in a structured programme, delivered by an industry expert. This programme assists companies through 2 days of one to one discussions with an industry expert on sales and marketing issues such brand assessment and redesign, packaging review, market gap analysis and new product opportunities and customer presentations. It also involves two group work days to help companies improve on the most critical areas of their business.

Overall 30 companies participated on the original programme including Wicklow Fine Foods, Boozeberries, First Ireland Spirits Co., Butlers Chocolates, Couverture Desserts, Broadway Bagels, Le Paysan and Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese. Celtic Recipes was launched in 2006 in the eastern half of the country and has been rolled out in the west for the period 2009 to 2012. Companies are assisted by an industry expert to grow their sales and exports through increasing their market focus. The programme is extremely adaptable to each company's unique circumstances.

Roll Out 2009-2012: The programme's second phase runs from 2009 and 2012. 45 food and drink companies will receive t assistance in total or 15 per year.

Programme Objectives: The Programme focuses on increasing company's market orientation, competitiveness, improving manager's skill-set, exploring NPD and product innovation and new management practices. The Programme involves 3 days mentoring in total: 2 full days of one-to-one mentoring to identify and address areas for development and 1 full day Group Workshop.

Programme Materials: Participants receive an informative DVD featuring 12 case studies of successful Irish and Welsh food producers including Olhausens, J&L Grubb, Lir Chocolates, E Flahavan and Sons and Stable Diet. The Welsh companies featured include Anglesey Sea Salt and Rachel's Organic. The DVD also includes useful tips from buyers in Tesco and Waitrose and others.

*These companies are now participating on the Channel Clusters Programme.

Participant's Testimonial:“The combination of group workshop and one-to-one mentoring meant that it was a great opportunity to learn from other entrepreneurs’ experiences and also to receive specific advice about developing an export aspect to my business”. “Growing up in West Cork I’ve always been aware of a strong tradition of artisan food production. In the current economic climate, we all know that it’s increasingly important to expand our horizons and work hard to build a new business culture that emphasises export trade. For me, the Celtic Recipes programme helped to fill in any gaps in my knowledge with regard to exporting. Running a small business is so time consuming that it’s sometimes difficult to see the bigger, international picture. Celtic Recipes definitely opened my eyes to the wealth of new opportunities that are open to my business”. Mella McAuley, Mella’s Fudge

For more information, please contact Godfrey Lydon in the IEA on (01) 642 4170.